Courts duel over restaurants reopening

The New Mexico Supreme Court granted an emergency request by Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham to stay an order issued earlier that on July 20 in Carlsbad.

That Carlsbad order by Judge Raymond Romero of the Fifth Judicial District Court in Eddy and Chaves counties would have allowed indoor dining at restaurants in New Mexico, despite an emergency health order to the contrary. The decision came at the request of the New Mexico Restaurant Association, which was seeking to overturn the governor’s emergency health order July 13 (7.13.20-PHO-1).

The order from Carlsbad said that restaurants and breweries in the state could reopen indoor dining at...

WASHINGTON, D.C. — In response to heavily armed, unmarked federal forces in unmarked vehicles grabbing protestors off the streets in Portland, Ore., on July 21, Senators Tom Udall, D-N.M., and Martin Heinrich, D-N.M., are helping introduce the bicameral Preventing Authoritarian Policing Tactics on America’s Streets Act.

The legislation would block the Trump administration from deploying federal law enforcement as a shadowy paramilitary against Americans, over the objections of state and local leaders. Udall and Heinrich are also cosponsoring the legislation as an amendment to the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2021.

“Congress needs to take immediate action...

SANTA FE – The Office of the Governor and the Office of the Attorney General announced on July 22 that they will actively monitor for any civil rights violations related to federal law enforcement operations in New Mexico.

The offices will target investigative and prosecutorial resources at any suspected civil rights violation stemming from federal law enforcement operations.

This announcement comes in the wake of U.S. Department of Homeland Security operations in Portland, Ore., and a U.S. Department of Justice memo that cited Albuquerque as a target city for further federal law enforcement deployment.

The governor and the attorney general encourage any New Mexican impacted by...

As the end of July approaches, election races start to heat up. With numerous state and national seats up for grabs, candidates have to meet with voters to win them over.

The COVID-19 pandemic makes an already difficult race more difficult since many states have placed a ban on large gatherings, given their potential to become “super spreader” events. As such, candidates have jumped over this hurdle by holding virtual meetings through Zoom or other similar means.

Congressman Ben Ray Luján, D-N.M., is taking that route on his goal of becoming a senator for New Mexico. Starting July 24, Luján is holding a series of “virtual road trips” in collaboration with multiple Democratic...